4ever....Kenny Smith says Guards Game

[ChicosBailBonds]

 

He's on my flight.  Of course, he's a former guard so he might be bias.  Key to UNC this year will be their guard play.  I should record it on the iPhone for you. 

[Ready2Fly]

But what does Jerry Palm say?

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Olajuwan...the guy who won Smith two championship rings...disagrees.

[madtownwarrior]

What does the Stu "The Legend" Morrill say?

[MarquetteDano]

The college game is a guard's game no doubt.  How many three guard lineups are out there versus how many one guard lineups are out there?

And if it is a big guys game why haven't we seen a team with a three big (PF-PF-C) lineup like we see a three guard lineup?

Reason: guard's game.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

Olajuwan...the guy who won Smith two championship rings...disagrees.

Some would argue that Jordan "going to play baseball" had something to do with those two rings.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Olajuwan...the guy who won Smith two championship rings...disagrees.

We're talking college, not NBA.  He's a good guy.  He's not so sure about UNC this year.  But to no surprise, college is definitely a guard's game....this coming from a former college guard and professional basketball analysis.


Jerry Palm....don't know what he says about this subject, but he was absolutely right that the Big East pretty much sucked balls last year....were there any real questions about that after the tournament?

Stew Morrill....pretty sure he's preparing for his first game right and hoping to go back to the NCAAs again.

[Lennys Tap]

The college game is a guard's game no doubt.  How many three guard lineups are out there versus how many one guard lineups are out there?

And if it is a big guys game why haven't we seen a team with a three big (PF-PF-C) lineup like we see a three guard lineup?

Reason: guard's game.

The reason it's a guard's game (in college) has nothing to do with philosophy and everything to do with supply. There are an excess of "smalls" who can play and a dearth of "bigs". That 5'7" kid from Chicago St. (Colston?) we played two years ago was a WAY better basketball player than a Barro, Burke, Hazel or Otule. Everybody has good guards, (admittedly some have better than others), but only a select few have good bigs. Until (if ever) we can be one of those select few, Buzz will try to recruit bigger guards (Blue, Jones, Anderson, etc) to somewhat neutralize the situation.

Oh, and if a college coach were lucky enough to have a Maurice Lucas (PF), Charles Barkley (PF) and Kareem (C) on his team I think he'd figure out a way to get them on the court  together even if it meant abandoning his "3 guard" offense.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Lenny, I agree with much of that.  Supply dictates that the college game is played differently.  Not only supply, but talent at the position as well....takes awhile for some of those guys to develop.  As such, since it's nearly impossible to get a quality big if you aren't named UCLA, DUKE, UNC or a few others, then best to build your team to be awesome playing without that piece.

Simply put, the chances of MU landing a STUD big man are slim and it's been that way for 30 years

[Lennys Tap]

Lenny, I agree with much of that.  Supply dictates that the college game is played differently.  Not only supply, but talent at the position as well....takes awhile for some of those guys to develop.  As such, since it's nearly impossible to get a quality big if you aren't named UCLA, DUKE, UNC or a few others, then best to build your team to be awesome playing without that piece.

Simply put, the chances of MU landing a STUD big man are slim and it's been that way for 30 years

Sad to say but your last sentence is dead on.

[SacWarrior]

I have a Kenny "The Jet" Bobblehead from when he was in the slam dunk competition in Sacramento

[4everwarriors]

Tell Kenny 4ever says he don't know stink. Without Brad on this team, Smith would be another dime/dozen guard. Besides without Barkley now, nobody would watch the pregame.
BTW, why aren't men of your stature flying Executive Jet?

[NYWarrior]

Simply put, the chances of MU landing a STUD big man are slim and it's been that way for 30 years

so that got me thinking about the last 30 yrs of MU bigs .....

Rod Grosse
Roman Mueller
Joe Nethen
Jarrod Lovette
Richard Shaw
Yous Mbao
Greg Clausen
John Kyle Mueller

.........At least MU enjoyed good years from Tom Copa, Walter Downing, Damon Key, Jim McIlvaine, Amal McCaskill, Scott Merritt and Robert Jackson.  

[Lennys Tap]

so that got me thinking about the last 30 yrs of MU bigs .....

Rod Grosse
Roman Mueller
Joe Nethen
Jarrod Lovette
Richard Shaw
Yous Mbao
Greg Clausen
John Kyle Mueller

.........At least MU enjoyed good years from Tom Copa, Walter Downing, Damon Key, Jim McIlvaine, Amal McCaskill, Scott Merritt and Robert Jackson.  

The only top 50 "studs" in the group (coming out of high school) were Downing and Jackson - both of whom we got as transfers.

[rocky_warrior]

4ever....Kenny Smith says Guards Game

Why does this thread feel like an overplayed top 40 song?

[SaintPaulWarrior]

What about Lloyd Moore?

http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/lloyd_moore

[jtrash37]

Where was Jimmy Mac rated coming out of St. Catherine's?

[HoopsMalone]

It would have been nice for Merritt to have made the NBA so MU (and Crean at IU) could point to a big man that came in and developed into an NBA player.  The kid had talent and I remember in 2004 after the FF run, everyone thought he had a shot at the draft before the season started.  It would have been a nice talking point.  O well. 

We did show that the 5 man in Buzz's offense can make the NBA since Lazar played almost exclusively the 5 and got a guaranteed contract after playing for Buzz

But since this is a guards game, I am happy that Buzz can point to multiple guards/wings out of MU who are getting paid well in the NBA.  It is certainly a guard's game, and Buzz already seems to have added a nice perimeter player in Anderson in this class.  We do need a defensive big man so we don't limit these guards chances.  We score enough points, so we do not really need a "Stud."  We just need someone to push Brooke Lopez off the block and reasonably get a hand in his face so he can't turn around and shoot an easy game winner. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

Using John Pudner's "Ultimate Hoops Guide", he compiled a Statistical Rating to equalize career contributions...according to this, the top MU centers (and some were PF's who had to play center) are:

• Chones (26.7)
• Kojis (26.3)
• Lucas (24.9)
• Rand (24.9)
• Whitehead (22.5)
• Mac (21.8)
• Morstadt (20.5)

Including F2's, NC's, S16's, etc., the winning percent of these centers was 75.5%.  Taking out Mac and Rand, the winning percent was 84.4%.  

Even more so, couple these centers with a strong PF...Larry McNeil (25.2 Stat and a 86.2% Win %) and a Bo Ellis (31.2 Stat and a 85.6% winning rate) and you have Batman and Robin...just like Merritt and Jackson to Wade's Superman.  

Guards are priority #1 as you can win without a Big as recent times have shown.  However, if we want to get over the hump, we need some Green Giants.  

As an aside, Morstadt's nickname was "Nanook".  Got to love the "Ox" then.  

[HouWarrior]

Olajuwan...the guy who won Smith two championship rings...disagrees.

Not really. That was 15 years ago. Actually, Olajuwon does not disagree, nor would he ever claim "he" won anyone some rings.

Hakeems BF on the 95 champ team was the key then to the team-- Clyde Drexler, a guard.

I was at all but one of the Houston Rockets home games during the 94 and 95 playoffs. There were games won by key play at every position(K Smith, Robert Horry, Clyde Drexler, Sam Cassell, etc).

BTW, Olajuwon now coaches players (in private sessions) , and his last big name pupil ,last year, was Kobe Bryant-- a GUARD who wanted to learn the Dream Shake, and some post moves.

[bilsu]

Who wins a 5 on 5. 5 Dwayne Wades vs 5 Jim Chones. I will go with the Wades. A bigman is dependent on guards.

[mviale]

I have been thinking about the need for a good point guard and Miami.  I think the key to the Celtics is Rondo.  Not sure the Heat will be champions with Arroyo/Chalmers at the point.

[chren21]

Macilvaine was top 100 but not sure exactly his ranking...  see this link.

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2009/05/look-back-marquettes-history-with-top_15.html

[karavotsos]

The reason it's a guard's game (in college) has nothing to do with philosophy and everything to do with supply. There are an excess of "smalls" who can play and a dearth of "bigs". That 5'7" kid from Chicago St. (Colston?) we played two years ago was a WAY better basketball player than a Barro, Burke, Hazel or Otule. Everybody has good guards, (admittedly some have better than others), but only a select few have good bigs. Until (if ever) we can be one of those select few, Buzz will try to recruit bigger guards (Blue, Jones, Anderson, etc) to somewhat neutralize the situation.

Oh, and if a college coach were lucky enough to have a Maurice Lucas (PF), Charles Barkley (PF) and Kareem (C) on his team I think he'd figure out a way to get them on the court  together even if it meant abandoning his "3 guard" offense.

The reason it's a big's game has everything to do with demand.  There's a shortage of bigs and an excess a smalls.  A 7'00" Zoubek can be the deciding factor in a national championship.  You don't have to be an Oden and you can have much more of an impact than a Kemba Walker; an Austin Feeman; an Ashton Gibbs.  Every team has at least 4 guards.  They're like any card through 2-10.  Today they're good enough.  Tomorrow they're not.  Bigs are high face cards and trump cards.


Bigs win the big games. 

[reinko]

The reason it's a big's game has everything to do with demand.  There's a shortage of bigs and an excess a smalls.  A 7'00" Zoubek can be the deciding factor in a national championship.  You don't have to be an Oden and you can have much more of an impact than a Kemba Walker; an Austin Feeman; an Ashton Gibbs.  Every team has at least 4 guards.  They're like any card through 2-10.  Today they're good enough.  Tomorrow they're not.  Bigs are high face cards and trump cards.


Bigs win the big games. 

Chief, did you watch the National Championship game?  Zoubek didn't do crap, the refs SHOCKINGLY swallowed there whistles on numerous calls against him, and they barely beat mid major to win a national championship.